


Dressed For The Party

by agentsimmons



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Feels, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, EMH/MCU fusion, Gen, M/M, Minor Bruce Banner/Tony Stark, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 01:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3917722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsimmons/pseuds/agentsimmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unexpected code green gives Tony the opportunity to test his Hulkbuster armor for the first time in the field. But Tony doesn't seem to like the idea of having to pummel his friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dressed For The Party

**Author's Note:**

> This is adapted from an excerpt of EMH episode "The Deadliest Man Alive" but still MCU-based (because it's Steve that cares the most about Hulk in that episode lol). Unless you want to see this as taking the MCU-based characteristics and transplanting them to the EMH setting. That works too. So take this little fusion as you like, but I did personally mean it to be a pre-AoU thing. 
> 
> Relationships were left ambiguous (although friendship is explicit) so y'all can take it as you choose whether or not Tony and Bruce are still only on bro level in this.

_**Dressed For The Party** _

The mood was heavy in Stark Tower as the Avengers awaited word from J.A.R.V.I.S. on the Hulk's possible whereabouts. Bruce had been clean for months. But earlier that day, General Ross had gone out of his way to trigger a transformation and it was one of the worst they'd seen.

None were more troubled than Tony. He made his way to his armor lab, the Hulk having destroyed his previous suit in the unexpected code green. He knew what was coming. J.A.R.V.I.S. was searching for the Hulk and he would need a new suit for when he was found. _That suit._  

Steve had followed him and he could guess why. Back in the assembly room, Tony had warned them all that fighting Hulk would be a bridge they might have to cross. Steve didn't precisely seem to like that idea, if his pitiful look was any indication to Stark. 

"Understand, we have to be prepared in case things go south," Tony said matter-of-factly, but then came to a halt. Who was he actually trying to convince? Steve knew the various contingency plans they had in place as did they all. _We'll cross that bridge when we come to it._ Those had been Tony's words when Thor breached the subject of fighting Banner. _He_  was the one trying to avoid that bridge as much as, if not more than the others.

Steve came up beside him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "If we have to, we'll take him down. But _only_ as a last resort." 

Tony's eyes shifted suddenly to look at Steve. Of course. Steve had seen right through him. Tony could hear the empathy in his voice. He could feel it in the strong grip on his shoulder. Tony could almost hate him for it, but little good it would do. Steve had lost his own best friend only to have to fight him when his ghost reappeared from the shadows. If anyone understood the struggle of deciding what "last resort" really means when staring down someone you care about, Tony knew it was him. 

"I've located Dr. Banner," J.A.R.V.I.S. came over the intercom, breaking Tony's train of thought. "He's near Niagara Falls. Sir, my Hulkbuster tracking protocol indicates that General Ross' team is also closing in."

"Ross got us into this mess," Tony said, his face clenching in anger as he recalled the prior standoff with Ross that had led to Hulk's emergence. "And now he's getting more than he could have hoped for. If he can get to Banner while he's still Hulk, he'll have him in gamma quarantine lockdown before we even get the chance to sign a petition for release let alone have it granted."

"Then maybe there's a chance we can get to him first."

"Alright, Cap, not that I'm trying to steal your job or anything, but... J.A.R.V.I.S., give Thor the coordinates and tell him to head that way immediately."

"Right away, sir."

"Steve, you, Romanoff, and Barton follow in the Quinjet as quickly as you can manage."

"And you?" 

Tony hesitated.

"I guess it's time to see how my own Hulkbuster fares in the field," Tony answered with a quick shrug of his head and then watched as Steve gave an understanding nod and hurried off.

Tony hastened his pace the rest of the way to his lab to find J.A.R.V.I.S. had already prepped the Hulkbuster suit. He stood in front of his suit station, a circular pad in the middle of the room, for several moments. Suddenly, a flashback of falling from the wormhole entered his mind, the roar of the Hulk filling his ears. 

"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. brought him back to the moment. "The rest of the team is en route to Dr. Banner's location. At their current speed they should reach him before General Ross by approximately seven minutes."

"Right. That doesn't give us a lot of time." Tony shook his head and jumped onto the pad. He was then fitted with a heavy-duty Iron Man suit that he had built for the purpose of standing off against Hulk should the need ever arise. The roof above his lab, located on the top floor, opened up and Tony flew up and out. "Full thrust, J. How fast can we get there?"

"The build of this suit greatly diminishes your aerodynamic capabilities. You may reach the others with a moment or two to spare, but nothing more, I'm afraid. Had you left sooner--"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Tony prevented him from finishing. 

"Sir, I'm detecting low levels of anxiety," J.A.R.V.I.S. continued. "Are you certain you are up to challenging someone of the Hulk's magnitude?"

"Nope," Tony answered to the point. 

"May I point out, Mr. Stark, you have yet to combat with Dr. Banner in this state."

"Yes, thanks for that, J.A.R.V.I.S." Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm fully aware that I've never taken on a raging Hulk and, frankly, I wish I didn't have to," he admitted to the a.i. butler. "But Ross isn't getting his filthy hands on Banner on my watch."

"Very good, sir."

Tony's eyes widened and he tilted his head, mouth opening slightly. "Did you just... Did you just provoke me about Dr. Banner on purpose?"

"Latest scan indicates a dramatic decrease in anxiety levels," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded. "Correlating with your statement about General Ross to be more precise."

"Son of..." Tony's voice trailed as he put two and two together. He didn't want to fight Bruce any more than he had wanted to fight Rhodey once upon a time. But this was different. It had to be whether he liked it or not. Banner needed him to do anything necessary to keep him safe from the alternative - life in solitary confinement, held as a monster without mercy. If he had to knock him senseless to keep Ross off his tail, sobeit. "Thanks for the pep talk, J."

"Of course, sir. You should have visual on Dr. Banner in 200 feet."

"Hold on, Bruce. I'm coming, buddy." Tony flew through the trees until he saw Hulk and Thor engaged in battle. He watched as Hulk got the upperhand and threw Thor several hundred yards away. He knew it was a dick move, but he fired his repulsor at the giant, green, rage monster while his back was still turned. 

"GRRRRRRRR!" Hulk turned and looked at Tony with a violent sneer.

It was now or never to engage him and draw him away from Ross' inbound team.

"As you can see, _I came dressed for the party_."

Yep. That would do it. 

**Author's Note:**

> ~~I knew not to write that other Avengers ficlet. Now I can't stop myself!!!!~~
> 
>  
> 
> I couldn't resist making it sort of science bro/boyfriend fluffy with Tony being all underlying "Noooooo" about taking down Hulk because of his bond with Bruce. And I thought maybe it could work as a set up for why Tony seems more inclined to rely on Natasha's (ugh) lullaby method rather than fighting Hulk himself and why he seems to go on and on in a way that implies he feels like he's fighting Bruce personally during his fight scene with Hulk during in AoU (maybe just the vibe I got idk).


End file.
